Distributor structure



May 20 1924. 1,494,597

v w. A. EVANS DISTRIBUTOR STRUCTURE Filed March 8, 1920 Insulafl (Low I NV EN TOR.

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1 1 ATTORNEY.

Patented May 20, 1924.

UNITED STATES 1,494,597 PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM A. EVANS, OF FORT WASHINGTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO ATWATER KENT MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A COR- PORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

DISTRIBUTOR STRUCTURE.

Application filed March 8, 1920. Serial No. 364,276.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known-that I, WILLIAM A. EVANS, a citizen of the United States, residing in Fort \Vashington, county of Montgomery, State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Distributor Structures, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to distributor structure such as employed in ignition systems for internal combustion enginesfor directing at proper time the spark producing energy, generally of high tension, to the spark plugs of the engine.

In distributor structure, comprising a rotary distributor block or member carrying a terminal or brush past distributor terminals in succession, it is desirable or necessary that the active face or end of the rotating terminal or'brush shall be with accuracy positioned a predetermined distance from the axis of rotation. In case the rotary brush or terminal is secured to the distributor member by a post carried thereby or molded therein, it often occurs that the position of the post or insert, which determines the position of the rotary brush or terminal, varies as to its distance from the axis of rotation to an extent causing the active face or edge of the terminal or brush to be located a distance from the axis of rotation which is either too great or too small.

To overcome these difliculties, I have devised a distributor structure c'omprlslng a distributor member or block, preferably of molded insulating material, which carries a post, preferably an insert molded in the distributor member, whose size or diameter is smaller than the size or diameter of an aperture in the terminal or brush member, which allowsthe latter to be placed at predetermined distance from the axis of rotation of the distributor block or member and there fastened or held by the post or insert.

A further feature of my invention resides in employing, whether or not the aforementioned structure is involved, a d1str1butor contact having an aperture of square or other suitable shape such that when a post on the distributor member or an insert molded therein is spun, riveted, expanded or otherwise forced into the aperture, the contact will be held against movement or rotation upon the post or insert from desired or correct position. I

My invention resides in distributor structure of the character hereinafter described and claimed.

For an illustration of some of the various forms my invention may take, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a sectional view, partly in elevation, showing timer or interrupter structure in association with distributor structure embodying my invention, with which latter is associated the distributor cap carrying statioary distributor terminals.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the distributor block or member, insert and distributor terminal or brush, before the latter is secured in final position, the distributor contact being omitted.

Fig. 3 is a plan View of the distributor structure with the parts in position before they are finally secured.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the distributor structure with the parts in position before they are finally secured.

Flg. 5 is a View, partly in section, of the insert.

Fig. 6 is a planview of the distributor termlnal or brush.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the distributor contact.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of a modified form of distributor terminal or brush.

Fig. 9 is a plan view of distributor structure employing a brush of the-character indicated in Fig. 8 with the parts assembled and secured in final position.

Referring to Fig. 1, 1 is a base to which is secured the cap 2, preferably of molded insulating material, by the spring books 3.

Between the cap 2 and base 1 are disposed upon the latter timer or interrupter contacts of which the movable one is indicated at 4 carried by the movable arm 5 actuated in well known manner by the cam 6 upon or driven by the shaft 7 driven by the engine in suitable phase relation therewith.

The end 8 of the shaft 7 projects into a recess 9 in the distributor block or member 10, preferably of molded insulating material. Within the recess 9 is the lug or rib 11, referably molded integral with the member 10, the shaft head 8 having an offset slot receiving the rib 11 for positively rotating the member 10.

In the member 10 is molded and held fixed the upstanding preferably tubular or hollow post or insert 12 atuncertain but approximately predetermined distance from the axis of rotation of the member 10. By member 12 there are secured to the member 10 the distributor contact 13 and the distributor terminal or brush 14, the latter cooperating with the stationary distributor terminal of the source of spark producing energy, as for example, with one terminal of the high tension secondary of an induction coil whose primary circuit may be controlled by the aforesaid interrupter contacts.

Preferably the outer edge or face of the brush or terminal 14 just clears the inner faces of the terminals 15, though it will be understood that my later described structure is not limited to a slight spacing between the member 14 and the terminals 15, but is applicable as well to other arrangements, as

' when the member 14 or equivalent actually engages stationary distributor terminals.

It will be seen that variation in the distance between the insert or post. 12 and the axis of rotation of the member 10 will cause variation in the distance between the active end or face of the terminal or brush 14 and the axis of rotation, unless means are provided for allowing variation of position of the post insert 12 without aifecting the operative position of the terminal or brush 14 held by it to the distributor member.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 6, it will be noted that the terminal or brush 14 has a slot or hole 19 of size or dimension greater than the external diameter of the exposed part of the insert 12, whereby, as viewed in Fig. 2, the brush, 14 may be moved to right or left to sufiicient extent to bring its active or left end at desired or correct distance from the axis of rotation of the member 10, notwithstanding imperfection of location in such regard of the post 12.

In Fig. 3 the structure is the same as that indicated in Fig. 2, except that there has been superimposed upon the terminal 14 the spring contact 13 which, it will be noted from Figs. 3 and 7 is provided with a square or other suitably shaped hole 20% through which the post 12 extends.

The parts and their position indicated in Fig. 3 are shown also in Fig. 4 in vertical section.

With the parts placed as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4, the member 10 is placed in a suitable jig or holder having anabutment or stop at correct distance from the axis of rotation of the block 10, and the-brush or terminal 14 is brought or shifted to such position that its left end, Fig. 4, engages such stop or abutment, whereby the terminal 14 is then correctly located as to its radial distance on the member 10. The parts are then finally secured or fastened by working the metal of the upper end of the insert 12 outwardly and downwardly, as by riveting, spinning or otherwise. By preference the upper end of the bushing 12 is spun over, as

by a rotary spinning tool 21, until it forms the head indicated at 22. 'lVith the metal so worked or spun over, it expands into the square or other non-circular hole 20 in the spring contact 13, thereby preventing that contact from turning or. pivoting upon the post 'or insert 12. In such condition the head 22 of the post tightly clamps or holds the spring contact 13, and the latter communicates the pressure to the terminal or brush 14, thereby holding it fixedly in cor-' rect position as regards the axis of rotation of member 10.

By the construction described, the post not only holds the terminal or brush 14 in cor rect position, but it also holds the spring con tact 13 in electrical communication with terminal 14 and prevents turning or shifting of the contact 13 from its desired position indicated. I

In some cases the arcuate or circumferential extent of the active end or face of-the terminal 14 is required to be greater than that indicated in Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 6. and may be of the character and sustantially the extent indicated in Figs. 8 and 9, wherein the terminal 14 is shown as having an active end or face 23 of greater angular or arcuate extent. Otherwise, the structure of Fig. 9 is substantially the same as that of Figs. 2 to '4 inclusive, similar elements being, similarl held or secured.

What I claim is:

1. Distributor structure comprising a retatable distributor member, a terminal, and means for holding said terminal to said member with the active face of said terminal at predetermined distance from the axis of rotation of said distributor member comprising a post carried by said member at uncertain distance from said axis of rotation 2. Distributor structure comprising a rotatable distributor member, a terminal, a contact, a post secured to said distributor member at uncertain distance from the axis of rotation, said terminal and contact having apertures through which said post extends, the aperture in said terminal having a dimension compared with the size of said post permitting location of the active face of said terminal at a predetermined distance from the axis of rotation, and means co-acting with said post securing said terminal and said contact to said distributor member, the aperture in said contact having a shape coacting with said securing means to prevent rotation of said contact.

3. Distributor structure comprising a rotatable distributor member of molded insulating material, a terminal, a post molded in said member at uncertain distance from the axis of rotation thereof, said terminal having an aperture through which said post extends and having a dimension compared with the size of said post permitting location of the active face of said terminal at a predetermined distance from the axis of rotation, and means co-acting with said post for securing said terminal to said member with its said active face at said predetermined. distance from the axis of rotation.

4:. Distributor structure comprising a rotatable distributor member of molded insulating material, a terminal, a post molded in said member at uncertain distance from the axis of rotation thereof, said terminal having an aperture through which said post extends and having a dimension compared with the size of said post permitting location of the active face of said terminal at a predetermined distance from the axis of rotation, and an integral head on said post securing said terminal to said member with its said active face at said predetermined distance from the axis of rotation.

5. Distributor structure comprising a distributor member, a contact member provided with an opening of irregular form, and means for holding said contact member to the distributor member comprising a post carried by said distributor member and extending through said opening, said post being of smaller diameter than the opening and of a material to permit spreading it into engagement with the walls of the opening to prevent movement of the contact member about the post.

6. Distributor structure comprising a distributor member, a contact member provided with an opening of irregular form, and means for holding said contact member to the distributor member comprising a hollow post molded in said distributor member and extending through said opening, said post being of smaller diameter than the opening and of a material to permit spreading it into engagement with the walls of the opening to prevent movement of the contact member about the post.

7. Distributor structure comprising a distributor member of molded insulating material having a portion extending radially from its axis of rotation, a contact spring extending outwardly from said axis and provided with an opening of irregular form in its outer end, and means for securing said contact spring to the outer end of the distributor member comprising a post molded in the outer end of said member and extending through said opening, the post being of a material to permit its expansion into engagement with the walls of said opening.

8. Distributor structure comprising a distributor member, a terminal, a contact, the terminal and the contact being provided with openings of irregular form, and means for securing said terminal and contact to said distributor member comprising a post carried by said member and extending through said openings, the post being of a material to permit its expansion into engagement with the walls of said openings when said terminal and said contact member have been placed in position.

9. Distributor structure comprising a 1'0- tatable distributor member of molded insulating material, a terminal, a contact, and means for securing said terminal and contact to said member comprising a post molded in said member at uncertain distance from the axis of rotation and extending through apertures in said terminal and contact, the aperture in said contact being non-circular, and structure on said post forming a head holding said contact and terminal to said member and extending into the aperture in said contact to prevent rotation of said contact about said post, the aperture in said terminal being larger than said post to per-- mit location of the active face of said terminal at a predetermined distance from the axis of rotation.

10. The method of producing distributor structure comprising molding a distributor block of insulating material with a post molded therein, placing over said post a terminal with an aperture larger than said post, moving said terminal with respect to said post to bring the active face of said terminal at a predetermined distance from the axis of rotation of said block, and working the end of said post over to hold said terminal to said block with said active face of said terminal at said predetermined distance from the axis of rotation.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature this 4th day of March,

WVILLIAM A. EVANS. 

